The Battle of Sirhind was fought between the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

and the

Sur Empire The Sur Empire was an empire ruled by the Afghan (ethnonym), Afghan-origin Sur dynasty in North India, northern India for nearly 16 or 18 years, between 1538/1540 and 1556, with Sasaram (in modern-day Bihar) serving as its capital. It was fou ...

in 1555.

Background

Humayun had been in exile for 15 years after being forced to flee by

Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri (born Farid al-Din Khan; 1472 or 1486 – 22 May 1545), also known by his title Sultan Adil (), was the ruler of Bihar from 1530 to 1540, and Sultan of Hindustan from 1540 until his death in 1545. He defeated the Mughal Empire, ...

, a Pashtun commander who had taken control of the Mughal territories. During his exile, Humayun spent time in Persia where he was exposed to Persian high culture and military technology. This exposure gave him valuable insight into administration, politics, and warfare, which would later serve him well in his quest to reclaim his empire. After defeating his brothers in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, Humayun was able to solidify his hold over the region and return to India, where he successfully recaptured Babur's former capital of Delhi and reestablished the

. After the death of

Islam Shah Suri Islam Shah Suri (born Jalal Khan; 1507 – 22 November 1554) also known as Salim Shah Suri, was Sur Empire#List of rulers of the Sur Empire, Sultan of Hindustan from 27 May 1545 until his death in 1554. He was the second ruler of the Sur Empire ...

, the

Suri Empire The Sur Empire was an empire ruled by the Afghan-origin Sur dynasty in northern India for nearly 16 or 18 years, between 1538/1540 and 1556, with Sasaram (in modern-day Bihar) serving as its capital. It was founded by Sher Shah Suri. The S ...

had erupted in a civil war where various contenders to the throne fought each other for supremacy.

Sikandar Shah Suri Sikandar Shah Suri (died 1559) was the last ruling Sur Empire#List of rulers of the Sur Empire, Sultan of Hindustan from the Sur Empire, Sur dynasty from February 1555 until his defeat on 22 June 1555, and the second-to-last ruler of the Sur E ...

was occupied with his struggle against Ibrahim Shah Suri when

Humayun Nasir al-Din Muhammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), commonly known by his regnal name Humayun (), was the second Mughal emperor, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Northern India, and Pakistan from ...

mobilized an army from

Kabul Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...

. He captured

Rohtas Fort Rohtas Fort (; ) is a 16th-century citadel located near the city of Dina in Jhelum district of the Punjab, Pakistan. Commissioned by Sur Emperor Sher Shah Suri, its construction was supervised by Raja Todar Mal and is now one of the largest ...

and

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

in February 1555. Another detachment of his forces captured Dipalpur,

Gurdaspur Gurdaspur is a city in the Majha region of the Indian state of Punjab, between the rivers Beas and Ravi. It houses the administrative headquarters of Gurdaspur District and is in the geographical centre of the district, which shares a bord ...

and

Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...

. Their advanced division proceeded towards

Sirhind Sirhind is a Twin cities, twin city of Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab, India, Punjab, India. It is hosts the municipal council of Fatehgarh Sahib district. Demographics In the 2011 census of India, 2011 census Sirhind-Fatehgarh had a population of ...

. Sikandar sent a force of 30,000 to intercept them but they were defeated by the

Mughal Army The army of the Mughal Empire was the force by which the Mughal emperors established their empire in the 16th century and expanded it to its greatest extent at the beginning of the 18th century. Although its origins, like the Mughals themselve ...

in the Battle of Machhiwara and Sirhind was occupied by the Mughals.

Battle

Sikandar led an army of 90,000 and met the Mughals in battle at

on 22 June 1555.

and

Bairam Khan Muhammad Bairam Khan (; 18 January 1501 – 31 January 1561), commonly known as Bairam Khan or Bayram Khan was an important military commander, and later commander-in-chief of the Mughal Empire, Mughal army, a powerful statesman and regent at ...

carried out a daring raid in a rainstorm like

had done at the

Battle of Chausa The Battle of Chausa was a notable military engagement between the Mughal Emperor, Humayun, and the Afghan ruler, Sher Shah Suri. It was fought on 26 June 1539 at Chausa, 10 miles southwest of Buxar in modern-day Bihar, India. Sher Shah Suri was ...

to defeat

. Sikander was defeated by the

and was compelled to retreat to the

Sivalik Hills The Sivalik Hills, also known as Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas. The literal translation of "Sivalik" is 'tresses of Shiva'. The hills are known for their numerous fossils, and are also home to the Soanian Middle Pale ...

in northeastern

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. The victorious Mughals marched to

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, occupied it and reestablished their empire in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

References

Sirhind 1555 1555 in India

Sur Empire Fatehgarh Sahib district 16th century in the Mughal Empire 8. The Battle of Sirhind and the defeat of the Afghans by Khizr Khan Hazara and Humayun are mentioned in the *Tazkira-Humayun and Akbar*, pages 191, 192, and 194. {{India-battle-stub

Background

Battle

See also

References